![]() Most of them center upon his management.ĭempsey states in his biography that he actually had looked forward to fighting Wills, boasting that he had always been able to "lick those big slow guys" (Wills was 6'4", Dempsey was 6'1"). In his biography Dempsey offers up various reasons why the fight between himself and Wills never occurred. During his long tenure in the ring, the Alabama native would fight such legendary fighters as Sam Langford (a fighter that has been called one of the greatest "pounder for-pound" fighters ever), Harry Wills (who beat Tate on three occasions and was denied a shot at the Heavyweight Title by Dempsey's "Color Line"), Joe Jeanette, George Godfrey, and Jack Thompson. Tate was more than just a sparring partner, amassing a nearly two decade fighting career. ![]() Tate would prove to be a valuable asset to the up-and-coming fighter Dempsey (who was a 5-4 underdog in the fight), as he was able to prepare for the bout with someone roughly Willard's size. Prior to the Willard fight in Toledo, Dempsey sparred with Tate numerous times, knocking Tate out on multiple occasions. William "Big Bill" Tate was one of Jack Dempsey's favorite sparring partners during his rise to the Heavyweight title. It is known that he died in June of 1938 in New York, but the exact date is thought to be either June 12 or June 15. Perhaps it was the proclivity for losing that allowed Jamaica Kid the chance to fight against many of the great boxers of his era, including Jack Thompson and Sam Langford.Īs he had begun his life, the death of Jamaica Kid is also a mystery. The inability to win would follow him for the rest of his career, a career in which he compiled an 18 and 60 record, with 9 draws. At this point in his career, which was roughly 25 bouts, Jamaica Kid had amassed only three wins. Jamaica Kid, who is believed to have been born in Belize, was a popular sparring partner during his career because of his speed, and would work with Dempsey during his preparations for various fights, culminating with the July 1919 bout with Willard in Toledo. Even his name, which is thought to be either Robert Buckley or Robert Bulkey, is unknown. ![]() Not much is known of Dempsey sparring partner the Jamaica Kid, including his date of birth or where he was born. Here are some of the fighters that Dempsey would spar with before his crushing defeat of Jess Willard in Toledo in 1919. Jack Dempsey's "color line" would have a long lasting impact on the sport, curtailing the growth of great African American fighters who would normally have had a shot at the championship.Īlthough none of these sparring partners went on to achieve accolades on the order of Jack Dempsey, all of them were quality fighters in their own right. This is particularly important to note since it was after the Jfight in Toledo that Jack Dempsey made his declaration to the New York Times that he would no longer face black opponents. The African Americans in this story come in through the various sparring partners that Dempsey fought prior to the match. Any sports historian or boxing fan can tell you that this historic title fight (left) pitting the recently crowned Jess Willard, the last of the" great white hopes" who had won the Heavyweight Title from Jack Johnson four years earlier, and up and comer Jack Dempsey did not include any African American fighters. ![]()
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